Childhood Disorders: ASD

Autism is one of the most mysterious and perplexing of all disorders. It was first identified by an American doctor named Leo Kanner in 1943.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (a guide created by the American Psychiatric Association in order to diagnose mental disorders), Autism is a long-term disorder characterised by extreme unresponsiveness to others, poor communication skills, as well as highly repetitive and rigid behaviour patterns. It affects about 5 out of 10,000 children; and around 80 percent of them are boys, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Diagnosis

Autism can be diagnosed at any age, but it is a developmental disorder which typically appears during the first two years of life. Autism appears in the form of unresponsiveness and lack of interest in others. Autism is known as a Spectrum Disorder due to the wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms experienced by such individuals.

Autism tends to occur in all ethnic, racial, and economic groups; and although it is a lifelong disorder, treatment and services can help improve such a person's symptoms and ability to function. The American Academy of Paediatrics recommended that all children should be screened for the disorder. All caregivers should speak to their doctors about screening, or evaluation for autism.

Approximately 70 percent of autistic children are severely disabled. More than two-thirds of them are mentally challenged, with IQs below 70; frequently below 35. The rest have a normal to above-average intelligence. But, according to the American Psychiatric Association; even the highest functioning adults with autism have problems with communication; as well as restricted interests, activities, and difficulty relating to others.

Social Interaction & Behaviour

A central feature of Autism is the lack of social responsiveness towards others—including parents—such as, failing or being slow in responding when called by the name (or any other verbal attempts to gain attention), talking in length on certain subjects without noticing another's disinterest, not giving a chance for others to respond, having difficulty in conversations, being unable to understand other people's viewpoints, or being unable to predict or understand other people's actions.

Unlike infants without the disorder, infants with Autism don't reach out or make eye contact with their parents. They don't seem to recognise or care for the people around them, including their parents. Autistic children tend to not engage in normal play with either adults or peers.

They do not include others in their play and often don't even acknowledge their presence. Their facial expressions, movements, and gestures tend to not match what's being said, making it hard for others to understand how they feel. They tend to have an unusual tone of voice, which may sound like a sing-song, or flat and robot-like. They can also have a lasting interest in certain topics, such as numbers, details or facts.

Restrictive Repetitive Behaviour Patterns

Language and communication difficulties are common with half of the autistic people not developing a language. The languages developed by autistic individuals are strange, and often involve the repetition of words and phrases, with little recognition of their meaning. Many of them engage in echolalia, which is the echoing of others' words and phrases.

For autistic children, sameness and routine are very important, making them extremely upset at even a minute's change: a slight movement of a piece of furniture, or even one word changed in a song, tend to evoke a tantrum. According to the beliefs of some theorists, the sameness is an attempt at avoiding overstimulation. Autistic individuals can be more or less sensitive than other individuals to sensory input; including light, noise, temperature, or even clothing. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD, may experience problems with sleep, as well as irritability.

The behavioural patterns and interests of autistic individuals are repetitive. They may spend their time playing with objects such as jar tops (or objects that spin), flicking their fingers, or rocking their bodies. Some tend to behave in self-injurious behaviours, such as banging their heads against sharp objects, or biting chunks of flesh out of their bodies, causing such children to be restrained.

Although ASD individuals may have many challenges due to their disorder, some of them may exhibit extraordinary savant (French for 'wise' or 'learned') abilities, such as being able to learn things in detail and remember information for long periods; being able to excel in math, science, music, and art; or being strong in visual and auditory learning.

A common savant skill in such individuals is calendar calculation. An autistic person with such an ability will be able to tell you, in an instant, the day of the week in which your birthday will fall in far as 2050; while others are able to perfectly reproduce any song or commercial after hearing it just once. Such skills, when exhibited by them, tend to give the impression of superior intelligence.